


Marking a Memory

by loisselina (LoisSelina)



Series: Step Robin [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Anyway protect David, F/M, Francis Hood, Francis continues to be That Dick, Gen, Kid David, father figure Robin, kid prince charming, mentions of Marian's death, parental figure, parental figure Robin, step father robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 05:10:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20285938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoisSelina/pseuds/loisselina
Summary: A year after Marian's death Robin marks her memory.





	Marking a Memory

Robin was not in the mood. Today marked a year since Marian had died. 

He wanted to stay in bed all week, but he didn’t have a choice, he was a king but he felt like a slave. 

Ruth had forced herself upon him the night before, she was keen to have another child, should anything happen to David, Robin dreaded that she did become pregnant, he didn’t want a child with a heart as dark as hers, and he knew his own father would decide to off David. 

Speaking of David, the boy had been following him around night and day, Robin had decided he didn’t hate the child for being manipulated by Francis, but this week made it hard to be around the child. He was a constant reminder of Marian’s death, and as of late he had begun to dream that she was alive and he was David’s father, they lived on a farm and they were all happy. 

He knew Marian would want him to be a good father figure to David, so he tried for her, and because he found more and more that he cared for him, genuinely. 

* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin had been trying to work, on his desk were maps of the kingdom and of others, he was meant to be planning their military advances on Midas’ kingdom who was encroaching on their territory, but his heart really wasn’t in it. 

He hated absolutely everything, he hated the expensive books and bow he was gifted on his wedding day, he hated the fine clothes, he hated that he was just there to produce a spare heir, and he absolutely beyond hated that David had been sat for two hours staring at him and taking notes. 

He threw his pen down and stood up. “ _ David! _ ” He barked. “Why the hell are you staring at me?!” 

David hid his papers and pencil inside his pocket, he wasn’t about to show Robin what he was doing.

“Do you not think that I could do with some privacy? That I might be busy and I need to concentrate?!” 

“I was being quiet.” 

David’s scowl and crossed arms just wound Robin up. “Well you staring at me was very off putting! I’m working here David, this is the future of  _ your _ kingdom I’m trying to ensure!”    
He realised his hands had been clenched into fists, he hadn’t meant to or even noticed, but David was staring at them frozen. He fell back into his seat.   
“Shouldn’t you be with your tutor? You need to focus on your arithmetics he said he’d spend more time with you tonight going over them. You should be going over the work now to make sure you don’t have to spend all night with him.” 

David didn’t say anything for a minute. “I don’t like the new tutor. I liked my old one.” 

“Well, she went to look after her own baby, and your mother chose this tutor herself.” 

He nearly told him to talk to Ruth about it if he wanted a new one but he had a feeling David wouldn’t make it out of the room without being punished in some way. David wasn’t the best student, he was smart but his head was in the clouds, he either couldn’t sit still or he’d be concentrating on something so intently that he would forget to eat, it was like he was in a trance. 

David had gone through a lot of tutors, this one was the strictest that Robin had seen, but Ruth never put David in harm’s way. 

David huffed. “I’d rather you taught me. You know lots of things.”

“David.” Robin said his name through a sigh. He watched David face and knew his message had gotten through. He couldn’t. “Why don’t you go and play and I will see you later. We can go out for a horse ride tonight.” 

That placated the boy and he left Robin’s study. 

* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robin dined with Ruth that lunchtime, it was quiet as always, they didn’t make conversation which Robin was relieved about, he wasn’t sure how he managed to refrain from shouting that he didn’t wish to be her husband. 

As promised after lunch he headed to the dining room David normally ate in, but there was no sign of his golden curls among the other young princes and princesses. He noticed two of his friends, the princes Edmund and Peter who were watching over the children, so walked over. 

After making a quick small talk he glanced back around the dining hall. “Have you seen my lad-?” he surprised himself at those words, he quickly recovered, distracting them from his slip with his easy smile. “Have you seen David?”

“We were here early with our little ones, we haven’t seen him.” Peter answered. 

“He probably lost track of time, he’ll be exploring or drawing.” Edmund added. “Do you need help looking for him? He looked over at his own dark haired daughter, a little older than David, who was making a daisy chain crown for her cousin.

“Thanks but, no, no I can find him.” 

* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It turns out Robin couldn’t find him, in fact, he searched the usual places, then all the nooks and crannies David frequented often. 

There was no sign of him. 

Robin was frowning as he made his way down to the kitchen, he and David visited Nora often, it was clear she had her favourites in the castle and they were it. 

“Your majesty, I was just coming to find you.”

“Nora, I was looking for Davey, no one’s seen him.”

“He was down here an hour ago. He asked me to bake a cake or some kind of treat for you, he said you looked sad today.” She nodded at the plate of a variety of small cakes and biscuits in her hand. 

Robin felt bad for shouting at him earlier. “Did he say where he was going to go?”

“Well he went out onto the common, of course, with your father.”

Robin’s blood ran cold. He watched Nora give him a look, trying to figure out what was wrong. “I’m going to go fetch him, would you mind placing them in my study?” He wanted her out of earshot of anything his father was saying. 

* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What the fuck!” Robin ran towards his father as he threw a dagger straight at David. 

Francis let the dagger fly at David.   


_ In Robin’s mind he watched his father’s blade fly through the air and land in Marian’s chest, Francis walked over, and pulled the dagger out with it still stuck through her heart.  _ __   
  


It brushed past the boy, landing with a ‘ _ thunk’ _ into a barrel of the oaktree. 

“Whoa! That’s so cool!” David shouted jumping up into the air. “Robin! look what Grandfather Francis did!” 

Robin wanted to throw up, or to throw a dagger at his father. He finally reached his step son. He automatically pulled the eight year old to him, wrapping his arms around his head without thinking. “Yes. I saw him.” He glared at his father. 

“I thought I would spend some time with my grandson. I was telling him that we used to play this game, you do remember, don’t you son?”

“I remember everything.” Robin told him, he watched Francis smile thinking Robin was still intent on killing David, but Robin just remembered that Francis was the one who killed Marian. “David was meant to be having lunch now. Goodbye father.” 

“Aw but Robin-!” David protested, he shut his mouth when Robin gave him a firm look. “Sorry… Bye Francis.” 

“I told you, David, you can call me grandfather.” 

“Okay.” David smiled. He hadn’t had a grandfather before. 

Robin kept a strong hold on David as Francis walked towards the carriage of his horse. “Oh and Robin. I hope you enjoy your day, it's been a year since you and the Queen were engaged to be married.” He climbed into the carriage and signaled for the driver to go. There was a slash of the whip and the horses ran on. 

Robin made a promise to himself that one day he would kill his father. 

  
  


* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David was surprised that Robin kept an arm around him all the way back to his study, and that he wasn’t taken to the dining hall for lunch. 

“It was very nice of you to ask Nora to make us cakes and biscuits.” 

“You looked sad… why are you sad.” 

“I’m not sad, David.” He lied. He took a strawberry shortcake off of the tray and passed David a small caramel and chocolate tart. “What were you writing earlier, when you were here.” 

David debated, for a minute, whether to reveal what he had been writing. “I was taking notes.” He explained, Robin stared at him willing him to explain, so David did. “I was learning how to be a good king.” 

Robin was lost for words. “I’m not… I’m not that good...You shouldn’t try and model yourself on me.” 

“I think you’re the best king.” David insisted. “You’re like King Arthur, you’re good, and you do your best for the kingdom. I want to be like you.” 

Robin tried to swallow but there was a lump in his throat. “You should go to your tower, you tutor will be there by now. You can take the cakes.” He took another cake and passed the plate to David, giving him no choice, he turned his back on David pretending to work, when he heard the door shut behind the boy he dropped his head into his hands. He cried silently for all he had lost, and what he had become, he cried for what he and Marian had lost, and for losing Marian, and for the pain and death he knew he would have to inflict to keep his son safe. 

* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


Robin awoke as the chimes struck midnight. He had returned to his chamber after being forced to spend his night with Ruth. He had hated it, but he had done his duty, he was just relieved that he had been able to return to the other side of the castle after doing the deed. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the monstrous queen it had been months since she had killed the woman at the ball but Robin still dreamt of it.

He dressed in his riding clothes, he grabbed the satchel of something he had asked the gardener to procure and he headed out of his tower. He had been planning on just heading straight for the stables, but his feet carried him towards David’s tower. He was sure the boy would be asleep but when he reached the top he saw David sat up straight, there was a candle alight nearly down to the nub, and there were arithmetic papers still strewn around the floor.

“R-Robin?” David’s voice cracked. 

“Hey squirt.” Robin didn’t know why he had been crying. 

He thought for a second about asking why, but he assumed it had just been a childhood nightmare, he would come to wish that he had asked, in the future years. 

But for now he just walked over to David’s wardrobe and pulled out David’s riding clothes, he chucked them onto the bed. “I’m going on a trip, an adventure, you can come, if you wish.” 

* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David quickly dressed and sat in front of Robin on the horse’s saddle as they rode away from the castle grounds.

  
  


* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they reached a spot above a hill Robin disembarked the horse and helped David down. He pulled two plants and two trowels from the sack. 

“Dig a hole, I’ll dig another one.” 

David did as he was told. When 

“Stand back a minute.”

David did. “Why-?”

“Just watch.” They both watched as a single flower sprouted from each bush. They were pale blue in the moonlight, they illuminated, and when they opened up they began to sing in the moonlight.

“They’re beautiful.” David remarked in breathless wonder. “Who are they for?”

“You’re a smart boy.” Robin was reminded, yet again, that David noticed more than he let on. “For Marian.” 

David paused for a second. “Why did you marry my mother? You seemed to really love Marian… You don’t love my mother like that.” 

“Your mother is the queen, it was an honour to be asked to marry her, and I… I wanted to be your father.” 

“Mother was telling me that one day I will marry a rich princess and we will be the most powerful kingdom… I don’t want to marry for power. I don’t want to be a king.” 

“David, listen to me for a minute.” He could just about see the blue of his eyes in the dark. “You should marry for love, never accept anything less. Do you understand?” 

David nodded. “Will you marry Marian one day?” He had once told Robin his mother would understand that Robin loved someone else. He didn’t believe that anymore.

“No, David, I won’t.”    
He thought about Francis manipulating David into telling him about Robin and Marian, it had been this which Francis blamed for him killing Marian. It hurt. But it hadn’t been David’s fault really. 

“Maybe one day you’ll meet someone you love as much as Marian… If you marry her will you still be my dad?” 

“I promise I will always be here for you.” 

They stayed there, beneath the stars and the moon, for a little while longer. 

  
  


* * *

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


Eventually Robin helped David back onto the horse and back to their gilded prison. 

Robin tucked David back into bed, placing a candle into the holder, he lit it with some matches. “To keep away the nightmares.” His mother’s voice played in his head as he said that. “Night squirt, sweet dreams.”

“Night night dad.” David mumbled.

  
  



End file.
